Method and kit

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing a plant growth medium comprising the following steps: a) providing an amount of bioorganic matter; b) contacting the bioorganic matter with one or more microbial agents capable of degrading the bioorganic matter to produce a decomposition product; and c) treating the decomposition product produced in step (b) to inhibit the degradation process prior to its completion. The invention further provides a bioreactor and a kit for performing that method, and a plant growth medium. In an embodiment, the plant growth medium is a peat-substitute material.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a method for producing a plant growth medium by composting, a kit for performing that method and a plant growth medium. In particular, the invention provides a plant growth medium that can be used as a substitute for peat (i.e. a peat-substitute material).INTRODUCTION[0002]The requirement for horticultural growing media has increased rapidly since the 1950's as a result of the growth of the Professional Growers industry including nursery stock, pot plants / herbs, bedding plants etc., and amateur gardening. Sphagnum peat has been used as the main constituent of growing media, and the demand has been met principally by UK peat sources, but also by increased import (30%). UK professional growers utilise approximately 1.2 million cubic metres (m3) peat annually. Sphagnum peat satisfies a range of generic grower requirements. These include air porosity (10% at 1 kPa), water holding capacity (WHC; 30%-65%), low nutrient and nitrogen ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020]It will be appreciated that different types of bioorganic matter can be chosen on the basis that they will contribute to the degradation process and / or the structural components that will be retained in the future growing media. For example, vascular-bundle-containing and fibrous materials (such as hemp) may provide a final fibrous meshwork which can help in creating cohesiveness and structure in the plant growth medium. Straw may provide useful fibrous material from the leaves, which degrade to leave the vascular bundles; the straw material also can partially degrade to provide fragments of lignified structure.

[0243]Thus, in an embodiment, the present invention may be used to sequester carbon obtained from bioorganic matter (such as plant matter) into a stable product that can be stored, thereby removing carbon from the carbon cycle (and potentially providing a means for reducing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide responsible for global warming).

Problems solved by technology

Thus, in one aspect, the present method uses microbial activity to modify the structure of bioorganic matter so that easily-degradable material is essentially turned into microbial biomass, leaving the more difficult-to-degrade (but potentially degradable) structural components of the bioorganic matter in a decomposition product.

The plant growth medium is stable since, following treatment, there are insufficient levels of microbial nutrients and microbial biomass to begin or continue the decomposition process.

Images